Feasibility Study to Consider an Aircraft for the Air Launch and Air Transportation of the Space Shuttle Orbiter
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Air Launch to Orbit: Flight Testing the Towed Gilder Air Launch Concept Using a Sub-Scale Research Model
This presentation will help to promote air-launch technologies that are being developed at NASA AFRC and enhance the public and aeromodeling communities awareness of current progress.
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Design of an airborne launch vehicle for an air launched space booster
A conceptual design is presented for a carrier vehicle for an air launched space booster. This airplane is capable of carrying a 500,000 pound satellite launch system to an altitude over 40,000 feet for launch. The airplane features a twin fuselage configuration for improved payload and landing gear integration, a high aspect ratio wing for maneuverability at altitude, and is powered by six General Electric GE-90 engines. The analysis methods used and the systems employed in the airplane are discussed. Launch costs are expected to be competitive with existing launch systems.
Chao, Chin↗
The Crossbow Air Launch Trade Space
Effective air launching of a rocket is approached from a broad systems engineering viewpoint. The elementary reasons for why and how a rocket might be launched from a carrier aircraft are examined. From this, a carefully crafted set of guiding principles is presented. Rules are generated from a fundamental foundation, derived from NASA systems study analyses and from an academic vantage point. The Appendix includes the derivation of a revised Mass Multiplier Equation, useful in understanding the rocket equation as it applies to real vehicles, without the need of complicated weight and sizing programs. The rationale for air launching, being an enormously advantageous Earth-To-Orbit (ETO) methodology, is presented along with the realization that the appropriate air launch solution may lie in a very large class of carrier aircraft; the pod-hauler. Finally, a unique area of the system trade space is defined and branded Crossbow. Crossbow is not a specific hardware design for air launch, but represents a comprehensive vision for commercial, military and space transportation. This document serves as a starting point for future technical papers that evaluate the air launch hypotheses and assertions produced during the past several years of study on the subject.
Bonometti, Joseph A.↗
Motivation for Air-Launch: Past, Present, and Future
Air-launch is defined as two or more air-vehicles joined and working together, that eventually separate in flight, and that have a combined performance greater than the sum of the individual parts. The use of the air-launch concept has taken many forms across civil, commercial, and military contexts throughout the history of aviation. Air-launch techniques have been applied for entertainment, movement of materiel and personnel, efficient execution of aeronautical research, increasing aircraft range, and enabling flexible and efficient launch of space vehicles. For each air-launch application identified in the paper, the motivation for that application is discussed.
history↗
Motivation for Air-Launch: Past, Present, and Future
Air-launch is defined as two or more air-vehicles joined and working together, that eventually separate in flight, and that have a combined performance greater than the sum of the individual parts. The use of the air-launch concept has taken many forms across civil, commercial, and military contexts throughout the history of aviation. Air-launch techniques have been applied for entertainment, movement of materiel and personnel, efficient execution of aeronautical research, increasing aircraft range, and enabling flexible and efficient launch of space vehicles. For each air-launch application identified in the paper, the motivation for that application is discussed.
air-launch↗
Unfolding the air vanes on a supersonic air-launched missile
ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile) is a supersonic air vehicle designed to be air-launched from a carrier aircraft. The four aft aerodynamic control vanes are folded to maximize the number of missiles carried on-board. The unfolding (erection) system must be small, energetic, fast, and strong. The materials selected and problems that arose during development of the unfolding system are described.
Wohltmann, M.↗
SOME OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF USING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE AIRPLANE AS A FIRST-STAGE BOOSTER FOR AIR-LAUNCHING SOLID-FUEL SOUNDING ROCKETS
Use of high-performance aircraft as first-stage booster for air-launching solid fuel rocket - operational aspects
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NASA to Launch Air Density Explorer
Spherical satellite for measuring upper atmosphere air density launched by scout vehicle
SATELLITE MEASUREMENT↗
Athena: Advanced air launched space booster
The infrastructure for routine, reliable, and inexpensive access of space is a goal that has been actively pursued over the past 50 years, but has yet not been realized. Current launch systems utilize ground launching facilities which require the booster vehicle to plow up through the dense lower atmosphere before reaching space. An air launched system on the other hand has the advantage of being launched from a carrier aircraft above this dense portion of the atmosphere and hence can be smaller and lighter compared to its ground based counterpart. The goal of last year's Aerospace Engineering Course 483 (AE 483) was to design a 227,272 kg (500,000 lb.) air launched space booster which would beat the customer's launch cost on existing launch vehicles by at least 50 percent. While the cost analysis conducted by the class showed that this goal could be met, the cost and size of the carrier aircraft make it appear dubious that any private company would be willing to invest in such a project. To avoid this potential pitfall, this year's AE 483 class was to design as large an air launched space booster as possible which can be launched from an existing or modification to an existing aircraft. An initial estimate of the weight of the booster is 136,363 kg (300,000 lb.) to 159,091 kg (350,000 lb.).
Booker, Corey G.↗
GRYPHON: Air launched space booster
The project chosen for the winter semester Aero 483 class was the design of a next generation Air Launched Space Booster. Based on Orbital Sciences Corporation's Pegasus concept, the goal of Aero 483 was to design a 500,000 pound air launched space booster capable of delivering 17,000 pounds of payload to Low Earth Orbit and 8,000 pounds of payload to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. The resulting launch vehicle was named the Gryphon. The class of forty senior aerospace engineering students was broken down into eight interdependent groups. Each group was assigned a subsystem or responsibility which then became their field of specialization. Spacecraft Integration was responsible for ensuring compatibility between subsystems. This group kept up to date on subsystem redesigns and informed those parties affected by the changes, monitored the vehicle's overall weight and dimensions, and calculated the mass properties of the booster. This group also performed the cost/profitability analysis of the Gryphon and obtained cost data for competing launch systems. The Mission Analysis Group was assigned the task of determining proper orbits, calculating the vehicle's flight trajectory for those orbits, and determining the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. The Propulsion Group chose the engines that were best suited to the mission. This group also set the staging configurations for those engines and designed the tanks and fuel feed system. The commercial satellite market, dimensions and weights of typical satellites, and method of deploying satellites was determined by the Payloads Group. In addition, Payloads identified possible resupply packages for Space Station Freedom and identified those packages that were compatible with the Gryphon. The guidance, navigation, and control subsystems were designed by the Mission Control Group. This group identified required tracking hardware, communications hardware telemetry systems, and ground sites for the location of the Gryphon's mission control center. The Structures group was responsible for ensuring the structural integrity of the vehicle. Their designs included the payload shroud, payload support structure, exterior hull and engine support struts. The Gryphon's power requirements were determined by the Power/Thermal/Attitude Control Group. This group then selected suitable batteries and other components to meet these requirements. The group also designed heat shielding and cooling systems to ensure subsystem performance. In addition to these responsibilities this group designed the attitude control methods and RCS components for the vehicle. The Aircraft Integration Group was responsible for all aspects of the booster aircraft connection. This included the design of the connection structure and the drop mechanism. This group also designed the vehicle assembly facility and identified possible ground bases for the plane.
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New Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) Flight Testbed for Hypersonic Systems
The Phoenix Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) flight testbed was conceived and is proposed to help address the lack of quick-turnaround and cost-effective hypersonic flight research capabilities. The Phoenix ALSM testbed results from utilization of the United States Navy Phoenix AIM-54 (Hughes Aircraft Company, now Raytheon Company, Waltham, Massachusetts) long-range, guided air-to-air missile and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) F-15B (McDonnell Douglas, now the Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) testbed airplane. The retirement of the Phoenix AIM-54 missiles from fleet operation has presented an opportunity for converting this flight asset into a new flight testbed. This cost-effective new platform will fill the gap in the test and evaluation of hypersonic systems for flight Mach numbers ranging from 3 to 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the Phoenix missile is a highly capable platform; when launched from a high-performance airplane, the guided Phoenix missile can boost research payloads to low hypersonic Mach numbers, enabling flight research in the supersonic-to-hypersonic transitional flight envelope. Experience gained from developing and operating the Phoenix ALSM testbed will assist the development and operation of future higher-performance ALSM flight testbeds as well as responsive microsatellite-small-payload air-launched space boosters.
Bui, Trong T.↗
Design of a Flush Airdata System (FADS) for the Hypersonic Air Launched Option (HALO) Vehicle
This paper presents a design study for a pressure based Flush airdata system (FADS) on the Hypersonic Air Launched Option (HALO) Vehicle. The analysis will demonstrate the feasibility of using a pressure based airdata system for the HALO and provide measurement uncertainty estimates along a candidate trajectory. The HALO is a conceived as a man-rated vehicle to be air launched from an SR-71 platform and is proposed as a testbed for an airbreathing hydrogen scramjet. A feasibility study has been performed and indicates that the proposed trajectory is possible with minimal modifications to the existing SR71 vehicle. The mission consists of launching the HALO off the top of an SR-71 at Mach 3 and 80,000 ft. A rocket motor is then used to accelerate the vehicle to the test condition. After the scramjet test is completed the vehicle will glide to a lakebed runway landing. This option provides reusability of the vehicle and scramjet engine. The HALO design will also allow for various scramjet engine and flowpath designs to be flight tested. For the HALO flights, measurements of freestream airdata are considered to be a mission critical to perform gain scheduling and trajectory optimization. One approach taken to obtaining airdata involves measurement of certain parameters such as external atmospheric winds, temperature, etc to estimate the airdata quantities. This study takes an alternate approach. Here the feasibility of obtaining airdata using a pressure-based flush airdata system (FADS) methods is assessed. The analysis, although it is performed using the HALO configuration and trajectory, is generally applicable to other hypersonic vehicles. The method to be presented offers the distinct advantage of inferring total pressure, Mach number, and flow incidence angles, without stagnating the freestream flow. This approach allows for airdata measurements to be made using blunt surfaces and significantly diminishes the heating load at the sensor. In the FADS concept a matrix of flush ports is placed in the vicinity of the aircraft nose, and the airdata are inferred indirectly from the measured pressures.
Whitmore, Stephen A.↗
Towed Glider Air-Launch System (TGALS)
This presentation contains an overview of the Towed Glider Air-Launch System to be placed on NASAs Game Changing Development Program Office website.
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Low Earth Orbit Raider (LER) winged air launch vehicle concept
The need to launch small payloads into low earth orbit has increased dramatically during the past several years. The Low Earth orbit Raider (LER) is an answer to this need. The LER is an air-launched, winged vehicle designed to carry a 1500 pound payload into a 250 nautical mile orbit. The LER is launched from the back of a 747-100B at 35,000 feet and a Mach number of 0.8. Three staged solid propellant motors offer safe ground and flight handling, reliable operation, and decreased fabrication cost. The wing provides lift for 747 separation and during the first stage burn. Also, aerodynamic controls are provided to simplify first stage maneuvers. The air-launch concept offers many advantages to the consumer compared to conventional methods. Launching at 35,000 feet lowers atmospheric drag and other loads on the vehicle considerably. Since the 747 is a mobile launch pad, flexibility in orbit selection and launch time is unparalleled. Even polar orbits are accessible with a decreased payload. Most importantly, the LER launch service can come to the customer, satellites and experiments need not be transported to ground based launch facilities. The LER is designed to offer increased consumer freedom at a lower cost over existing launch systems. Simplistic design emphasizing reliability at low cost allows for the light payloads of the LER.
Feaux, Karl↗
New Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) Flight Testbed for Hypersonic Systems
A new testbed for hypersonic flight research is proposed. Known as the Phoenix air-launched small missile (ALSM) flight testbed, it was conceived to help address the lack of quick-turnaround and cost-effective hypersonic flight research capabilities. The Phoenix ALSM testbed results from utilization of two unique and very capable flight assets: the United States Navy Phoenix AIM-54 long-range, guided air-to-air missile and the NASA Dryden F-15B testbed airplane. The U.S. Navy retirement of the Phoenix AIM-54 missiles from fleet operation has presented an excellent opportunity for converting this valuable flight asset into a new flight testbed. This cost-effective new platform will fill an existing gap in the test and evaluation of current and future hypersonic systems for flight Mach numbers ranging from 3 to 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the Phoenix missile is a highly capable platform. When launched from a high-performance airplane, the guided Phoenix missile can boost research payloads to low hypersonic Mach numbers, enabling flight research in the supersonic-to-hypersonic transitional flight envelope. Experience gained from developing and operating the Phoenix ALSM testbed will be valuable for the development and operation of future higher-performance ALSM flight testbeds as well as responsive microsatellite small-payload air-launched space boosters.
Bui, Trong T.↗
Performance of Air-Launched T-40 Rocket Motors with Two Types of Igniter
Air-launched firings of eight T-40 rockets have been made. An average total impulse of 22,870 pound-seconds was observed for four of the rounds mounted in cone-cylinder vehicles. Maximum velocities of over 5000 feet per second were observed for two of the rounds with approximately 70-pound pay loads.
Disher, J.H.↗
Air Launched Vehicle Exergy Analysis During Aircraft Boost Phase
The analysis of air launched vehicles carrying payloads to low earth orbit is complex. The integration of the aircraft flight phase and the launch vehicle flight phase requires the integration of systems functioning from different energy relationships. System exergy balance provides a relationship to integrate the efficiency of the aircraft launcher and the efficiency of the launch vehicle in a single, integrated system assessment. The exergy balance of the aircraft flight phase can be calculated with the launch vehicle included as part of the vehicle mass. As exergy balance allows for separate of the masses, different velocities, and different propulsion systems to continue the mission analysis after separation through payload orbital insertion and aircraft landing. This paper presents the initial assessment of the aircraft launch phase up to separation of the launch vehicle. Showing the method of integration afforded by the system exergy balance relationship.
Lane, Joshua↗